Russian legislators on Tuesday voted to recognize breakaway regions of Ukraine as independent states amid tensions with west over Reinforcement of Moscow troops.
The Russian State Duma, the lower part house of parliamentconsidered two alternative resolutions on acknowledgement of two secessionist regions supported by Russia in eastern Ukraine as “sovereign and independent states”, the speaker of housedit Vyacheslav Volodin.
Under the first, parliament would appeal directly President Vladimir Putin to recognize them as independents.
The conflict is part of a wider crisis, with United States warning that Russia can attack Ukraine anytime with a force of more more than 100,000 soldiers massed near its borders. Russia denies any such plan and blames the West of hysteria.
Acknowledgement of the two regions could kill off the current Minsk peace process for eastern Ukraine, for which Russia has declared itself attached. For this reasonsome analysts are skeptical that Putin want take such a step.
The alternative path of consultation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeared designed at play for time and avoid bringing the issue at a headat a time when military tensions are high but Russia says there remains place for diplomacy.
The idea of asking Putin to recognize the separatist territories was first launched by lawmakers on January 19 but took weeks to get into place parliamentthe agenda, with the Kremlin declining at comment on if he likes the idea.
Russia said earlier today that some forces deployed near Ukraine were beginning to return to their bases, after a buildup of Moscow’s army around Ukrainian borders sparked fears of a invasion.
